Automobile cooling unit



Feb. 7, 1961 I J. A. RICE 2,970,456

AUTOMOBILE COOLING UNIT Filed July 2, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 1 78 70 Fig-5 Jessie A. Rice 72 INVENTOR. 66 v 80 2 f 62 BY udyuwyym Feb. 7, 1961 J; A. RICE 2,970,456

AUTOMOBILE COOLING UNIT Filed July 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3 22 l Jessie A. Rice 1N VEN 1' OR.

Maud. BY ym 19m United States Patent 'O 2,970,456 AUTOMOBILE COOLING UNIT Jessie A. Rice, 2102 S. Monticello, Big Spring, Tex., 'as slgnor of twenty-five percent to Charles.R..Blake, Big Spring, Tex.

; Filed July 2, 1958, Ser. No. 746,199

"I l ClaimL (Cl. 62-244) lhe present invention generallyrelatesto a-cooling umt;for automotivevehicles and more particularly to an -.evaporative coolingunit-for sedan type passenger carry- :mg-zvehicles mounted inan out-of-the-Way position in :thetrunknormally provided in such a vehicle although the; device maybeansed in other orientations.

.;.The:primary objectaof the present invention is to provlde an evaporative cooling unit for automobiles in which -:-t-he cooling unit: receives saa'constant supply of fresh =dry g'airffrom outside;the vehicle .andis constantly exhausting tair froin rthe vehicle 'to the outside air-with the-cooling :Imit: having two 'separateev'aporative units with a blower for each unit and with the blowers and .evaporative units being isolated from each other thereby. providing a highly :eifective mvaporativeiunit:without I anyainterference from .:-the :separate: units sincezrtheiair; passing-through the" sep- 1,arate-;units-'rand:-thezseparate ablowers. is isolated. 7

,iz-Anotherobjecttof the present invention is to=provide an 'rautomo'bile cooling unit which. is, ieasilyi-installed in the rrtillnklbf a vehicle and-:provided with airtinletconduits extendingtothe exterior; surfaceQthereof and: cool air discharge ducts communicating :with the interior: 50f the avehicle and an; airxdischargei duct :communicatingwith the interior of the vehicle: and-extendingdownwardlyithrough thebottom "thereof and terr'ninatin'g-"with :a; lower end which will suck air from: :fthezsvehicle: during 1 forward ..mot-ion-:thereof-andnalsoxprovided 'with an: exhaustxfan (fOl exhaustingkair; from; the vehicle whenzthe vehicle .is anot-rmoving :forwardly'zorxatzwvery low ratesofaspeed, ,aAnotherifeature fof:the presenttinventionsiresides; in its simplicity:of-aconstruction; vefficiencyicif ;operation-,:a'daptation-. for mounting :inavarious typespof :vehic'les gand-teffec- 7 tively, cooling "the interion thereofand ,pensiver manufacturingecost:

These together-.withother objects and advantageswhich will become subsequent y,apparentresidetinthe details of flailatively inexcoiistruction andoperation as,morefully;hereinafterQderear ofna passenger automobile illustratingghe cool air inlet ducts and the outlet adapter; Figurev 2 is:aireanperspectiveiviewao aaj'trunk of a vehiclejllustrating the air cooling unit of the ,present infivelntioninstalled'therein: W H Figure-3 -is a-longitudinal, ver t ical siibstan'tially -upon-a plane passing I 3-3 of Figure 2 illustrating the internal construction of the cooling unit;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing-along section line 4-4 of Figure 2 illustrating further. structural details of the cooling unit and the dischargedu'ct;

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional viewillustratin'g the 1 70 vided with a, screen for collecting and screening intake.

manner of discharging the water onto the'absorption pad for evaporation of the water as the hot dry air passes through the pad; and

line

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Figure 6 is a detailed'sectional view-taken substantially upon-a plane passing along section line 6-6 of Figure 2 illustrating the air inlet duct and adapter on either side of the vehicle.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the air cooling unit of the present invention which is illustrated as being installed on a platform 12 in the forward portion of the trunk compartment 14 of an automotive vehicle generally designated by the numeral 16. 'The platform 12 may be a part of the floor of the trunk compartment or may be mounted therein vthus providing a horizontal supporting base plate forthe air-cooling unit. Also, the package shelf 18 extending horizontally rearwardly of the back of the rear seat 20 is modified to the extent that a pair .of arcuate, and forwardly curved coolair ducts 22 extend therethrough with theducts 22 being illustrated as polygonal in'shape but which may be of any suitable construction. These ducts 22 may be of transparent material so that the vision through the rear window 24 will not be interfered with. Also, a hot air outlet adapter, or girllt26 is mounted in the package shelf 13 by suitable fasteners 28. With this construction,--the cool air Whichis' cooled'by the unitltl enters through both of the forwardly extendfng and curved cool air inlet ducts Z2 and circulates' through the passenger compartment and leaves by, wayof the hot air discharge grill or adapter '26 and passes downwardlythrough an exhaust duct 30 which extends downwardly through-the 39 platform 12 immediately forwardly of theunitltland 'extends through to-the jbottom of;-the vehicle and ac- I tually extends-therebelow" into the path cf air as'the vehicle moves'forwardly. {The lower-end; of theiduct 30 is inclined' asdesignated by-numeral'fSZ with the -longest edge being? disposed forwardly so that-as "the 5 vehiclernoves forwardly and air-passes overthe ductf30 and strikes the long edge' first; a -partial v-acuumwill be induced ih-the-duct 30-for pulling air out of the -passenger-compartment of the-' vehicle 16,--due-to-the "suction created in the-duct SO-"bywthe -air' passing "over '{the tapered -end =32 as the vehicle-= movesforwardly. Y All exhaust fan 34 is provided inthe duct -30-.:f or-- dis- --chargE-ng'hot -air when the vehicle-is;sta-nding sti-ll or pi of ceefding at a very slow rate-bf-speedl 'Theaex haust-"fan 34 ismounted-omandfdriven from an electric rnotor36 supported by suitable brackets -38fiand provided-with n "electrical'cor'd;il extending through a grommet-i iz- 'in the exhaust-duct 30 and providedwith a silitab legswit ch on the da'shboard or any other accessible position 's'o that the fan 34 may be operatedbytheoperatoroigpas- V seng'ers in thervehicle' as maybe-desired.

'f The 'air cooling unit'filtlinclu'desi a generallyihorizont'allydisposed= andelongated hol'lowcasings 44i having ai top lfi a --bottorn 48,. side walls fitl and endflanges 52 which'fle'fine enlargedlopen ends having outwardly extending funnel-shaped members 54 attached thereto the funnel-shaped; members 54 are: generally frus-to- 'pyramidal I in shape I and have a smaller cylindrical f'adapter fiil at the outer end f for receiving a fiexiblefzair inlet, tube '62 witl'l ariamp1 4' 3thertube thereon:iThe fixibleiairamberE62extenesttmand is connected'with a cylindrical extension 66 on an air air as 'it proceeds into the funnel-shaped'member '54.

The construction of the funnel-shaped member54 and by virtue of flanges" 56-''thereon}=and faste'ning --bolts 58. I

being iprovidedg'iortholding the air intake adapter 70 is the same on both sides of the vehicle and the adapter 70 may be located in any convenient position on the exterior of the fender or on the exterior of the body adjacent the fender and rear window and is so contoured as to be generally unnoticed and otherwise compatible with the exterior appearance of the vehicle.

Mounted centrally in the-casing 44 is a vertical partition wall 82 having an electric motor 84 extending therethrough and mounted therein by a mounting flange 86. The electric motor 84 is also supported by brackets 88 extending to a horizontal partition 90 parallel with the bottom 48 and .extending between the lower end flanges 52 which are longer than the upper flanges thus defining a tank between the bottom 48 and horizontal partition 90 for receiving water 92.

The motor 84 has a power shaft 94 extending from each end thereof for driving the rotor 96 of a centrifugal type air fan which is of the well known squirrel cage type of fan having a central air inlet 96 in a generally cylindrical casing 98 having a tangential discharge duct 100 which extends upwardly and becomes an integral part of the cool air inlet ducts 22. The ducts 100 are supported from the top wall 46 by angle iron brackets 102 or by any other suitable means. With the construc tion as defined, the air which is hot and dry and taken from the outside in a fresh condition will enter through both of the flexible tubes 62 and through both of the funnel-shaped members 54 and will be drawn into the center inlet 96 of the squirrel cage or centrifugal type fans and thus will be discharged radially upwardly through the air inlet ducts 22 into the passenger compartment.

Supported inwardly of the peripheral end flange 52 is a similar flange 104 with the inner edges of the flanges 52 and 104 being interconnected by a transverse flange 106 which is spaced inwardly of the edges of the flanges 52 and 104 respectively thus providing a socket for an evaporative pad of absorbent material 108 which may be of any suitable construction and is provided with external layers of screen material 110. The flanges 106 at the top and bottom of the casing 44 are provided with apertures 112 for permitting passage of water therethrough. Also, the partition 90 exteriorly of the flange 104 is provided with apertures 114 for permitting drainage of water back to the tank in the event an excess of water is discharged downwardly through the evaporative pad 103. Thus, as

the water passes through the evaporative pad 108 of' absorbent material, the water will cool the air and due to the evaporation of the water, the air will be further cooled and humidified so thatscool air of a proper relative humidity will be discharged into the interior of passenger compartment of the vehicle.

flange 106 onto the top edges of the evaporative pads The ends of the pipes 116 are interconnected by a longitudinally extending pipe 120 along the top wall of the casing 44 with the longitudinal pipe in turn being con-' nected by virtue of a T-coupling 122 to a vertical pipe 124 connected with the discharge of a water pump 126 powered by an electric motor 128.. The pump and motor assembly extends through the lower partition thus isolating the electric motor 128 as well as the electric motor 84 from the water 92. The electric motors 128 and 84 are driven by electrical energy from the battery of the vehicle through a suitable switch mechanism and suitab7e electrical conductors.

The rear side wall 50 is provided along the outer surface thereorof with a filler tube 130 terminating above the top of the casing and provided with a filler cap 132 for replenishing the supply of water in the tank. The lower end of the filler tube 130 curves forwardly and extends through an opening 134 in the rear wall 50 thus providing for replenishment of the supply of water 92.

The top 46 and side walls 50 are covered with an insulation material 136 for maintaining the interior of the casing cool and preventing the transfer of heat into the interior of the casing to the walls thereof.

In operation, switch devices may be provided for controlling operation of the air cooling unit including the motors 36, 84 and 128 for exhausting air from the interior of the vehicle and discharging cool air into the interior of the vehicle and circulating water respectively.

' The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An air cooling unit for installation in an automotive vehicle having a trunk compartment with a top package shelf forming a part of the passenger compartment, said cooling unit comprising an elongated casing mounted in the trunk compartment with air intake ends facing opposite sides of the compartment, a central vertical partition in said casing dividing the casing into a pair of compartments, a pair of cool air ducts extending from the pair of compartments respectively upwardly through said shelf into the passenger compartment at opposite sides thereof, a pair of fans in said compartments at opposite sides of the partition connected to said ducts for drawing in air through said ends of the casing into said compartments and blowing the air through the cool air ducts and into the passenger compartment, a motor in said casing extending through and fitted in saidpartition between said fans and operatively connected thereto, means in said casing for humidifyingthe air drawn into said ends of the casing into said pair of compartments in response to operation of said fans, an exhaust duct depending from said shelf through the bottom of the vehicle and including an upwardly and rearwardly beveled discharge end, and a fan in said exhaustduct for evacuating the passengercompartment of air whereby to provide for circulation of air.from the first named ducts through the passenger compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS Davison .L Nov. 6, 1956 Montgomery June 18, 1957 Dolzaa.-- Jan; 21,1958 

